3 Giants storylines to watch this spring
This story was excerpted from Maria Guardado’s Giants Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it usually in your inbox.
In simply over one week, Giants pitchers and catchers will take the sector in Scottsdale, Ariz., for his or her first exercise of the spring.
While the membership’s unsuccessful pursuits for Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa left many followers disenchanted, the Giants nonetheless consider they boast a deep roster that will likely be able to shocking in 2023.
“We really want to prove people wrong again and prove to people that we’re more like the 107-win team [in 2021],” right-hander Logan Webb mentioned. “I’m not saying we’re going to win 107 games. That was pretty special. But we’re better than the .500 team that we were last year.”
Here are three storylines to comply with at Giants camp this spring:
It’s been an ungainly offseason for Crawford, who was anticipated to maneuver to 3rd base after the Giants agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with Correa in December. Crawford spent every week coming to phrases with a place change, although he ended up sticking at shortstop after Correa’s megadeal fell aside on account of medical issues.
“I’m sure it was a frustrating and confusing period for him,” president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi mentioned in December. “I don’t assume we might have prioritized that communication any increased than we did. It’s a giant a part of his identification, being the shortstop of this staff. And I feel we understood his disappointment. He wished to grasp the first step for him, the place he could be taking part in, and we tried to clarify that one of the best that we might.
“Look, it didn’t work out and he’s our shortstop now and we would like and count on to be a playoff staff. We know he’s motivated to have a fantastic season. Some of it’s simply understanding the truth that if we pursued shortstops, there would simply be an inherent component of feeling disrespected there, regardless of how we dealt with it. I perceive that, [manager Gabe Kapler] understands that, all of us perceive that, as a result of he’s been a fantastic participant and he’s been actually necessary to this franchise.
“I’m guessing he’s happy to be back at his natural spot, and if there’s some awkward or negative feelings, hopefully, we turn the page when we get to Spring Training. We all want the same thing, which is success for this team.”
Crawford, the longest-tenured Giant and the final remaining hyperlink to the membership’s championship period, is coming off a down season, however he ought to profit from higher well being and common entry to the staff’s services and coaches, which weren’t obtainable to him throughout the lockout final winter. The Giants don’t have a lot shortstop depth behind him, so that they’ll be relying on the 36-year-old veteran to recapture the resurgent type he confirmed in 2021, when he positioned fourth in National League MVP voting.
2. How will the catching competitors shake out?
Catcher is probably the Giants’ most unsettled place heading into Spring Training, as Joey Bart is presently the one true backstop on the 40-man roster. Veterans Austin Wynns and Roberto Pérez will likely be in camp as non-roster invitees, and the Giants are additionally anticipated to check out Rule 5 Draft decide Blake Sabol, who has cut up time between catcher and the outfield within the Minors.
The Giants nonetheless view Bart as a creating participant, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see them pair him with a extra skilled choice like Pérez, who received two Gold Glove Awards throughout his eight-year tenure with Cleveland.
“Physically, the reputation is strong,” Kapler mentioned. “The catch, the throw, the block — he has the reputation for being at the top of the league. Then the relationships he has with pitchers is excellent. Just having a veteran catcher in camp that our pitchers are going to be really excited to throw to, to learn from and be exposed to is a big deal because we really haven’t had that since Buster [Posey]. It’s meaningful.”
3. Will the Giants lock up Webb to a long-term extension?
While discussing Judge’s choice to re-sign with the Yankees, Webb talked about that he’d “love to be a Giant for life.” Webb, 26, received’t be eligible free of charge company till after the 2025 season, however Zaidi confirmed that they’ve had some talks a couple of long-term deal this offseason.
Spring Training tends to be extension season round baseball, so maybe the 2 sides will have the ability to work out an settlement within the coming weeks.
